


Wherefore Art Thou Romeo?

by angelrizen_17



Category: Willful Machines by Tim Floreen
Genre: Fuffy but kinda sad, M/M, Oneshot, reunited
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-09
Updated: 2016-12-09
Packaged: 2018-09-07 11:26:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8799097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angelrizen_17/pseuds/angelrizen_17
Summary: After pressing the kill switch a month ago, Lee isn't sure he'll ever find Nico. That is until his puck lights up with a strange message.





	

“I’ll never be able to understand this stuff.” Lee mutters to himself as he closes down The Tempest by Shakespeare from his puck. He had thought that when they returned to school, that maybe Miss Remnant would have some mercy and move onto something that would be easier to read in the very least. No such luck though, seeing as they were still being forced to read Shakespeare, even after the month long break while the school was being repared. 

Inverness Prep had been restored to it’s full gothic glory in that time and a new principle was hired to replace Stroud, Lee’s grandfather. He was planning on making some changes to the school that Bex and many other students were excited for, but Lee couldn’t get up the energy to care. 

 

The last month had been hectic, after the attack on the school and Lee, not to mention awkward with his dad now knowing about his sexuality. As awkward as it was though, Lee, for once, finally felt like him and his father were finally connecting in some way. Only in small ways, granted, but it was something in the very least. Losing Nico proved to be one of the most difficult things of all though. 

 

Lee had yet to hear from Nico, and neither Dr. Singh nor himself had been able to find any trace of him on the super net. She tried to comfort him by telling him that maybe Nico was just lost in the system still and trying to figure his way out still, but Lee couldn’t help but think that it was hopeless. That maybe Nico was in fact lying when he said that he was uploading himself to the supernet or maybe something went wrong when he pressed the kill switch. Or maybe, and Lee’s heart squeezed tightly as he thought this, maybe Nico’s memories were altered, and maybe he didn’t remember Lee at all or the time they shared. What ever had happened though, Lee was finding it harder and harder to believe that Nico was still out there in the Supernet somewhere. 

 

Lee comes back to reality and stares down at his hands sadly. “Oh, Nico… I miss you…” Lee mutters quietly. Gremlin, his orange lizard-like robot, skidders out of Lee’s pocket and makes his way up to Lee’s shoulder. Once he gets there he gently pulls on Lee’s ear which causes the teen to smile. Lee knows that it’s just how Lee’s mother programed him, but Lee can’t help but hope that maybe, what ever part of Nico had been there before, was still there. That maybe Nico was the one telling Gremlin to do it, and not his mother’s programing. 

 

Just as Lee is about to pet the orange robot though, the extra puck that Nico told him to get before he had pressed the kill switch buzzes. He had bought it a few days after the incident and sent a message to Nico, just like Nico had told him to. The puck had never moved or buzzed till now, and Nico was the only one he messaged on it. Lee stares at the puck for a long time in both silent shock and a small amount of hope. The puck floats up and the message appears on the wall before him.

 

‘“I, beyond all limit of what else I’ the world do love, prize, honour you.” The Tempest, Act 3, Scene 1.’

 

Lee simply stared at it for a long time in confusion. What is this? He thought to himself, not fully believing it could really be him. What kind of joke is this? Another message appeared before Lee could respond to the last.

 

‘You probably know this one better. “O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?” Romeo & Juliet, Act 2, Scene 2.’

 

Tears start pricking at the corner of Lee’s eyes. It couldn’t be… could it? Hesitantly, Lee picks up the puck and speaks into it. “Of course I know that one… everyone knows that one.” He says shakily. Within seconds a reply comes.

 

‘Hahaha! I guess that’s true, but to be fair, you aren't the brightest when it comes to Shakespeare.’

 

He can almost hear Nico’s thunderous laugh as he reads over the message and let’s out a choked laugh of his own, as tears start slipping down his face. “Haha, very funny.” Lee says into the puck. “Nico, is this really you?” He speaks shakily into the puck again before the puck has a chance to light up again with another message. 

 

‘It’s really me baby boy.’ 

 

The message appears on the wall, and Lee’s about to command him to prove when a second one appears.

 

‘I missed you too, Lee.’ 

 

Lee’s heart suddenly stops and he looks over to the little robot on his shoulder, Gremlin blinks at him and then once again gently tugs on his ear. Lee let’s out a choked sob. It was Nico. 

 

‘Turns out I can still access the hardware I put on Gremlin.’ 

 

Lee wants to reply, really wants to, but he can’t think of a single thing to say. It’s Nico… It’s really Nico. He thinks as more tears slip down his face. Gremlin begins to purr and another message pops up onto the wall. 

 

‘I’m sorry, Lee. Please don’t cry.’ 

 

“No! Don’t apologize. I just.. I…” Lee still can’t think of anything to say. What could he say? “I’m happy… I… I thought you were gone, and you’re not. I was scared I’d never be able to talk to you again.” He finally explains. This isn’t quite what he wants to say, but his brain feels like it’s on overload and it’s the best he can do at the moment. There’s more he wants to tell Nico, but for now, he figures thats enough.

 

‘Ha! You can’t get rid of me that easily, and besides, I can’t just leave my Romeo hangin when I promised to come back, can I? That would be terrible of me!’

 

Lee lets out a soft laugh. “Yes it would be.” He responds. “And you pick of opening lines were incredibly cheesy by the way.” 

 

‘Hey, I thought of the best love line I could in the few seconds after I found you. Cut me some slack.’ 

 

Lee can visualize Nico with a small grin on his face and a shrug as he reads the message and a smile forms on his lips. “I missed you.” He’s already said it, but he can’t think of anything he wanted to say more than that at the moment, because he really did. He had missed Nico as much as he missed his mom and it was still hard to believe this was really him talking to him from where ever he was in the Supernet. As Nico’s reply appears before him though, Lee knows it’s him and for the first time in a month, Lee grins softly.

 

“I missed you too, Lee, and I’m not leaving ever again.”


End file.
